First Year Anniversary

Terri retired from 30 years working with Pierce County on this date one year ago.  Our retirement plan was formed 8 years before as we sat at our kitchen table one evening.  One of us asked the question, "What should retirement look like for us?"

My quick answer was, "I want to live on a boat again."  I had done that 40 years ago in my foolish youth.  Terri's quick answer was, "I want to live in the sun or better yet I want to live in sunny Mexico."

That's us up on the sixth floor.

After a few hours of discussion that evening we had our retirement plan.  We would live on a larger boat during the Spring and Summer and spend our Falls and Winters in Mexico.  Simple plan.

Fast forward a few years and we found the place we wanted to live in Mazatlán.  It took several months but we bought the condo on the New Marina in Mazatlán.  Portofino would be our retirement home.

I was now a free man, ready to find and buy a larger "live aboard boat".  I spent hours/ days/ months/ years looking and dreaming about the next boat.  We had enjoyed the Grand Banks trawler for 13 years but it was too small to live aboard and be content.  I was a man on a mission.

Something funny happened during my search.  After spending most of my 60 years messing around with boats it occurred to me that I was done boating.  I had lost my interest.  My interest had been replaced with a desire to travel and see the country.

Our home on wheels.

What followed was the plan to be "one of those old people" driving along at 50mph in their motorhome.  The new yacht became a motorhome.

So we find ourselves, one year later, happily enjoying our lives on the road and in Mexico.  For us it is the near perfect life.

"Near Perfect?"  Life still has it's challenges.  Nothing is perfect.  Old age, aches and pains, lousy memory, and no one told me about black and grey water tanks being a weekly chore.  But all things considered life is very good.

As I reflect back on the last year I can say we are happy with our plan.  After one year we can see many more years of travels in our future.

So I will continue to say....Life is Good.